Guidance

Storing ELVs at a motor manufacturer’s dealership: RPS 205

Updated 18 July 2024

This regulatory position statement (RPS) does not change your legal requirement to have or comply with an environmental permit for a waste operation when you temporarily store end of life vehicles (ELVs) at a motor manufacturer’s dealership.

However, the Environment Agency will not normally take enforcement action against you if you do not comply with this legal requirement provided that:

  • your activity meets the description set out in this RPS

  • you comply with the conditions set out in this RPS

  • your activity does not cause (and is not likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health

In addition your activity must not cause (or be likely to cause) pollution of the environment or harm to human health, and must not:

  • cause a risk to water, air, soil, plants or animals

  • cause a nuisance through noise or odours

  • adversely affect the countryside or places of special interest

Activity this RPS applies to

This RPS applies to temporarily storing ELVs at a motor manufacturer’s dealership.

Conditions you must comply with

You must: 

  • be registered in an approved ELV collection network and offer free take-back of ELVs

  • only store up to 5 ELVs at any one time

  • store the ELVs on an impermeable surface with sealed drainage

  • have spill kits on site to deal with any oil, fuel or fluid leaks from the stored ELVs

  • only dismantle or depollute ELVs if you have an environmental permit allowing this activity

  • arrange for onward transportation of the ELV to an authorised treatment facility (ATF) within 7 days of receiving it

  • follow consignment note guidance for moving ELVs to an ATF

  • keep records for 3 years that show you have complied with this RPS and make these records available to the Environment Agency on request

When you must check back

The Environment Agency intends to review this RPS by 1 December 2026.

The Environment Agency can withdraw or amend this regulatory position before the review date if they consider it necessary. This includes where the activity that this RPS relates to has not changed.

You will need to check back from time to time, including at and before the review date, to see if this RPS still applies.

This RPS remains in force until it is removed from GOV.UK or is otherwise identified as having been withdrawn.

You can subscribe to email updates about this RPS. These will tell you if the RPS has changed and when it has been withdrawn.

If you cannot comply with this RPS

If you operate under this RPS but can no longer comply with it, you must:

Contact the Environment Agency

If you have any questions about this RPS email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk and put ‘RPS 205’ in the subject.